Intruder - Part Twenty
The Dragon and the God of Death...
"Duo?" Hilde looked under the desk. * sigh * He was sprawled out on his back, asleep.
Quatre was sitting on the couch. "Leave him, he'll wake up in a bit-"
"But he should be awake, what if-"
"So you'd leave Charlie sleeping, but if Duo dozes off, you've got to wake him up?"
"I'd say she's got her priorities right." Trowa said from across the room.
Quatre rolled his eyes, and yawned. "I'm following his guide."
"What? You're gonna sleep under a desk too?!"
"If he follows Duo's guide, he'll be lost in under five minutes." Trowa stated from his seat.
"No, I'm going to bed. I'll see you later." He yawned again, and left.
Trowa stood up, followed by Charlie. "I'm going to my room. Good night Hilde."
They both left too, closing the door behind them.
'I can't be bothered to go all the way to my room, on my own. I'll sleep in Duo's bed tonight, he's not going to need it.' She yawned.
'I might though.' She walked around to the end of the bed, and struggled up the side.
'Come on Hilde, if you can fly Taurus you can climb up here.'
She shut her eyes and pulled on the edge hard. Half asleep she hung on the edge of the mattress. She was pushed up from below. 'Thanks Duo.'
She rolled onto the bed and was asleep before she realized what she'd just said.
'No problem, babe.' he whispered, before pulling a blanket from a shelf and curling up on the couch. 'Honestly, the things I do...' He lay down quietly, and shut his eyes. He noticed that he wasn't actually tired anymore, but lay there anyway, waiting for morning.
Heero stood in the hallway, silent with disbelief. This man standing with him had died in AC 188, when he was still a child. He had been his training master and his adoptive father, but Heero had not mourned him, he hadn't known how. It was soon after his death that he was found and taken in by Doctor J and became a Gundam pilot.
"Odin" Heero said simply
"What's the matter, surprised to see me?" a smug sneer floated on his features.
"You aren't Odin. He died. A long time ago. Who are you?"
"You've grown up, 'Heero'-" he purred, gazing into those cold blue-gray eyes.
"You're dead." Heero insisted, "You failed the mission. I destroyed the base."
"Maybe you're right, but what would that make me?"
"Wrong." He looked over him. His shoulders were quite wide, in relation to his body. He was also quite skinny, but looked well - for a dead man. ~ He hasn't changed a bit ~ Heero frowned. These facts meant something, but his mind was reeling from the shock.
Again Quatre's word came to him ~ '...Intruder must be destroyed.' Intruder - destroy ~
The perfect soldier had found his mission now. He leapt at the image of his former master, driving the sole of his shoe into his chest. He fell back, but stayed on his feet.
"What are you trying to do, 'Heero'?"
"..." Heero glared at his enemy.
"Beat me? But you never could beat me, could you 'Heero'?"
"I will this time." Heero lunged at his foe, straight at him, planning to knock him to the ground. But as he leapt, his opponent went to the side, and landed his fist on his back, smashing him to the cold hard floor. Then he laughed, as he looked at him, lying on the ground at his feet. Heero felt his foot bury itself in his side, and coughed. And spat blood.
He looked up at his tormentor and glared at him, more hate in his eyes than ever. Even battle with Zechs had never riled him this much.
"Omae o Korosu." He said, spitting the words like he had his blood.
"You'll kill me? Really?-" he paused. "What about me?" the voice changed.
It sounded familiar somehow. ~ No. This is not real. ~
Wufei was laying on his bed, on his back, his eyes staring blankly into the ceiling. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just trying to be somewhere else. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. ~ How are we going to fix this? ~
He rolled over and shut his dark eyes. ~ I will fight, Nataku ~
Heero stared as Odin Lowe disappeared, and in his place, was a girl. A girl who he'd tried to kill, but couldn't. Something inside of him stopped him every time he tried.
~ She - IT is not Relena. But it's a woman, it's dishonorable to hit a girl. ~
He blinked, and shook his head.
She was still there.
He got to his feet.
"Hello? Heero, are you alright?" Relena asked, a note of concern in her voice.
"Re-lena...?" he whispered.
She nodded.
He made a step towards her.
She pulled a gun on him, he didn't see where it had come from.
"Heero." She said.
~ So this is how Duo must have felt. No, Duo knew what she was. ~
He tried to convince himself that his eyes were lying to him, this was not Relena Peacecraft. It was not Odin either.
~ But what is it? An Intruder. ~
"Stand up, and get moving." Relena ordered.
His first move was to do as she had said, but he realized his mistake.
~ If this is not real, it is an illusion. Illusion. She- It is not real. The gun is not real either ~
He turned to hit the false Relena, and felt a burning pain in his arm. Then he heard the gun go off. He grabbed his injured limb, and his hand slipped. He was bleeding.
"That was a warning shot. I may not be real, but this is." Relena's mouth moved, but it was not her voice. It was her brother's.
The lightning count stood over him as he leant on the wall.
"Ah, Heero Yuy, the perfect soldier. Good day to you." His tone was almost sarcastic.
Heero would have replied, he wanted to, but understood that the more he spoke to the chosen persona, the more confusing it would get. ~ Where are the others? ~
Duo Maxwell was jolted into awareness as he fell off the sofa. He'd been dreaming. Their Gundams had been alive, and in their places. Wing Zero was calling mayday for help. Deathscythe was the only one in range. It went to the help, and saw Epyon standing over his fallen ally. Deathscythe had leapt - and that was when he dropped off the couch. 'Whoa, weird dream. I should sleep in my bed.' He walked across the room and got a can of coke from the mini fridge in the corner. ~ I wonder where Heero is...~
He wandered back across the room, to sit and have his drink. As he passed the second set of monitors, he noticed the other one was working. He came back to it and looked closer. No one was there. He sipped his coke. Looking at it again, he thought there was something on the floor, just in the edge of the bottom of the screen. 'What the...?'
He swung the view around. And couldn't believe what he saw. 'Zechs!? Hell!'
His voice rose with disbelief and he felt the anger inside of him again.
"What the Hell is goin' on?"
The screen showed Heero slumped against the wall, with Milliardo Peacecraft standing over him. Heero was holding his arm, blood leaking gently through his fingers.
"This is going too far!" his voice was getting louder.
On the bed, Hilde stirred.
"Stay here!"
* yawn * "wha-?"
* Bang! * the door slammed behind him, she lay on the bed, wondering where he was off to in such a huff. Unseen below her, the screen showed Heero and Zechs in the hall.
Heero sat on the floor, his back against the wall.
~ This isn't right. Milliardo is on our side now. Relena- ~ he stopped. He was thinking about her again, when he was in a situation which wasn't exactly comfy. Planning his next move, he stared up at his one time worst enemy.
"Aren't you going to talk to me, Heero?" Odin's voice asked.
~ Not again...~
He stood over Heero, just like he always had. Heero was his apprentice, always second best. That's why after he'd died, Heero stayed on task, completing his missions even if it meant risking his life. But with his missions, it usually involved risking his life. The apprentice must never out rate the master. But who was the master now?
"I am." He said
"You are what? You're pathetic, that's what you are. Look at yourself. Sitting on the floor in some dirty old hall, bleeding to death. That's how it was always going to be, Heero."
"No." He set his feet and pushed himself up against the wall. "I will survive."
Staring defiantly into his adopted father's eyes, he frowned. He didn't know who he was trying to convince, his enemy, or himself. He tore a strip from his shirt and tied it around his arm, tight. As tight as he could, using one hand and his mouth. He spat again to clear the taste of blood from his mouth.
Wufei jumped up as his door flew open. Maxwell had opened it and threw his hand against the air, motioning for him to move. Trowa and Quatre were asleep, and he'd gotten Chang as he passed his door. The Dragon and the God of Death ran silently down the hall. Wufei could tell from the expression on his friend's face that something was very wrong. He didn't ask, he was sure that he'd find out soon enough. They turned down a passage, and Duo slammed the double doors. They were locked. He kicked them, and they screeched, but stayed firm. They looked at each other.
"Heero's in trouble." He growled.
"Double hit?"
He nodded. They charged the doors and they flew open with a satisfying crunch. As soon as they were through, he was off again. They ran down the hall.
* Bang! *
A gunshot rang out, and echoed down the corridor.
"Damn it to HELL!"
Wufei ran after Duo, hoping he wouldn't do anything foolish. Duo ran around the corner and stopped dead. Heero was lying on the floor, bleeding from two wounds on his right arm, but still conscious.
"Leave me, get him! That way!"
Duo hesitated, but knew he was right. He sped off down the corridor, his anger steady, now he knew Heero was alive, that was good, but he still needed to catch Zechs. He reached the dock, and saw movement behind the heap of Gundanium.
"Hey! HEY!! Hold it there! STOP!!" He saw the man turn around, and the gleam of a pistol barrel. He dropped and rolled across the floor.
The man was gone, but Quatre was hurriedly climbing a ladder on the opposite side of the bay. Duo was confused, but he knew Quatre was asleep in his room. He shot.
* Bang, Bang, Bang. *
Three bullets went off in succession, and Quatre fell, dropping the gun, but he hadn't been shot, he'd heard at least one ricochet off the metal rails. Duo ran over to the failed escapist. Pointing the gun ahead of him, he climbed over the heap of scrap metal, to find a man, dressed in black robes, standing about 10 meters away with his back to him.
"Turn around now - whatever you are."
The man complied.
"Right. Now -" Duo stopped, recognizing the guy he held at gunpoint. Wufei came over behind him. He said nothing as he looked over the priest standing in front of them.
"Father -" Duo began, but stopped as the man began drawing the sign of the cross over his chest.
Wufei watched carefully, one eyebrow raised. He had never been to church, and had no idea what was happening. Until the man pulled a pistol from his cloak. He drew his gun and shot it from his hand, just as he pulled the trigger. The man's gun fell from his hand and the shot his the ceiling somewhere. Wufei held his aim, ready for anything.
Except what happened next.
The Dragon and the God of Death...
"Duo?" Hilde looked under the desk. * sigh * He was sprawled out on his back, asleep.
Quatre was sitting on the couch. "Leave him, he'll wake up in a bit-"
"But he should be awake, what if-"
"So you'd leave Charlie sleeping, but if Duo dozes off, you've got to wake him up?"
"I'd say she's got her priorities right." Trowa said from across the room.
Quatre rolled his eyes, and yawned. "I'm following his guide."
"What? You're gonna sleep under a desk too?!"
"If he follows Duo's guide, he'll be lost in under five minutes." Trowa stated from his seat.
"No, I'm going to bed. I'll see you later." He yawned again, and left.
Trowa stood up, followed by Charlie. "I'm going to my room. Good night Hilde."
They both left too, closing the door behind them.
'I can't be bothered to go all the way to my room, on my own. I'll sleep in Duo's bed tonight, he's not going to need it.' She yawned.
'I might though.' She walked around to the end of the bed, and struggled up the side.
'Come on Hilde, if you can fly Taurus you can climb up here.'
She shut her eyes and pulled on the edge hard. Half asleep she hung on the edge of the mattress. She was pushed up from below. 'Thanks Duo.'
She rolled onto the bed and was asleep before she realized what she'd just said.
'No problem, babe.' he whispered, before pulling a blanket from a shelf and curling up on the couch. 'Honestly, the things I do...' He lay down quietly, and shut his eyes. He noticed that he wasn't actually tired anymore, but lay there anyway, waiting for morning.
Heero stood in the hallway, silent with disbelief. This man standing with him had died in AC 188, when he was still a child. He had been his training master and his adoptive father, but Heero had not mourned him, he hadn't known how. It was soon after his death that he was found and taken in by Doctor J and became a Gundam pilot.
"Odin" Heero said simply
"What's the matter, surprised to see me?" a smug sneer floated on his features.
"You aren't Odin. He died. A long time ago. Who are you?"
"You've grown up, 'Heero'-" he purred, gazing into those cold blue-gray eyes.
"You're dead." Heero insisted, "You failed the mission. I destroyed the base."
"Maybe you're right, but what would that make me?"
"Wrong." He looked over him. His shoulders were quite wide, in relation to his body. He was also quite skinny, but looked well - for a dead man. ~ He hasn't changed a bit ~ Heero frowned. These facts meant something, but his mind was reeling from the shock.
Again Quatre's word came to him ~ '...Intruder must be destroyed.' Intruder - destroy ~
The perfect soldier had found his mission now. He leapt at the image of his former master, driving the sole of his shoe into his chest. He fell back, but stayed on his feet.
"What are you trying to do, 'Heero'?"
"..." Heero glared at his enemy.
"Beat me? But you never could beat me, could you 'Heero'?"
"I will this time." Heero lunged at his foe, straight at him, planning to knock him to the ground. But as he leapt, his opponent went to the side, and landed his fist on his back, smashing him to the cold hard floor. Then he laughed, as he looked at him, lying on the ground at his feet. Heero felt his foot bury itself in his side, and coughed. And spat blood.
He looked up at his tormentor and glared at him, more hate in his eyes than ever. Even battle with Zechs had never riled him this much.
"Omae o Korosu." He said, spitting the words like he had his blood.
"You'll kill me? Really?-" he paused. "What about me?" the voice changed.
It sounded familiar somehow. ~ No. This is not real. ~
Wufei was laying on his bed, on his back, his eyes staring blankly into the ceiling. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just trying to be somewhere else. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. ~ How are we going to fix this? ~
He rolled over and shut his dark eyes. ~ I will fight, Nataku ~
Heero stared as Odin Lowe disappeared, and in his place, was a girl. A girl who he'd tried to kill, but couldn't. Something inside of him stopped him every time he tried.
~ She - IT is not Relena. But it's a woman, it's dishonorable to hit a girl. ~
He blinked, and shook his head.
She was still there.
He got to his feet.
"Hello? Heero, are you alright?" Relena asked, a note of concern in her voice.
"Re-lena...?" he whispered.
She nodded.
He made a step towards her.
She pulled a gun on him, he didn't see where it had come from.
"Heero." She said.
~ So this is how Duo must have felt. No, Duo knew what she was. ~
He tried to convince himself that his eyes were lying to him, this was not Relena Peacecraft. It was not Odin either.
~ But what is it? An Intruder. ~
"Stand up, and get moving." Relena ordered.
His first move was to do as she had said, but he realized his mistake.
~ If this is not real, it is an illusion. Illusion. She- It is not real. The gun is not real either ~
He turned to hit the false Relena, and felt a burning pain in his arm. Then he heard the gun go off. He grabbed his injured limb, and his hand slipped. He was bleeding.
"That was a warning shot. I may not be real, but this is." Relena's mouth moved, but it was not her voice. It was her brother's.
The lightning count stood over him as he leant on the wall.
"Ah, Heero Yuy, the perfect soldier. Good day to you." His tone was almost sarcastic.
Heero would have replied, he wanted to, but understood that the more he spoke to the chosen persona, the more confusing it would get. ~ Where are the others? ~
Duo Maxwell was jolted into awareness as he fell off the sofa. He'd been dreaming. Their Gundams had been alive, and in their places. Wing Zero was calling mayday for help. Deathscythe was the only one in range. It went to the help, and saw Epyon standing over his fallen ally. Deathscythe had leapt - and that was when he dropped off the couch. 'Whoa, weird dream. I should sleep in my bed.' He walked across the room and got a can of coke from the mini fridge in the corner. ~ I wonder where Heero is...~
He wandered back across the room, to sit and have his drink. As he passed the second set of monitors, he noticed the other one was working. He came back to it and looked closer. No one was there. He sipped his coke. Looking at it again, he thought there was something on the floor, just in the edge of the bottom of the screen. 'What the...?'
He swung the view around. And couldn't believe what he saw. 'Zechs!? Hell!'
His voice rose with disbelief and he felt the anger inside of him again.
"What the Hell is goin' on?"
The screen showed Heero slumped against the wall, with Milliardo Peacecraft standing over him. Heero was holding his arm, blood leaking gently through his fingers.
"This is going too far!" his voice was getting louder.
On the bed, Hilde stirred.
"Stay here!"
* yawn * "wha-?"
* Bang! * the door slammed behind him, she lay on the bed, wondering where he was off to in such a huff. Unseen below her, the screen showed Heero and Zechs in the hall.
Heero sat on the floor, his back against the wall.
~ This isn't right. Milliardo is on our side now. Relena- ~ he stopped. He was thinking about her again, when he was in a situation which wasn't exactly comfy. Planning his next move, he stared up at his one time worst enemy.
"Aren't you going to talk to me, Heero?" Odin's voice asked.
~ Not again...~
He stood over Heero, just like he always had. Heero was his apprentice, always second best. That's why after he'd died, Heero stayed on task, completing his missions even if it meant risking his life. But with his missions, it usually involved risking his life. The apprentice must never out rate the master. But who was the master now?
"I am." He said
"You are what? You're pathetic, that's what you are. Look at yourself. Sitting on the floor in some dirty old hall, bleeding to death. That's how it was always going to be, Heero."
"No." He set his feet and pushed himself up against the wall. "I will survive."
Staring defiantly into his adopted father's eyes, he frowned. He didn't know who he was trying to convince, his enemy, or himself. He tore a strip from his shirt and tied it around his arm, tight. As tight as he could, using one hand and his mouth. He spat again to clear the taste of blood from his mouth.
Wufei jumped up as his door flew open. Maxwell had opened it and threw his hand against the air, motioning for him to move. Trowa and Quatre were asleep, and he'd gotten Chang as he passed his door. The Dragon and the God of Death ran silently down the hall. Wufei could tell from the expression on his friend's face that something was very wrong. He didn't ask, he was sure that he'd find out soon enough. They turned down a passage, and Duo slammed the double doors. They were locked. He kicked them, and they screeched, but stayed firm. They looked at each other.
"Heero's in trouble." He growled.
"Double hit?"
He nodded. They charged the doors and they flew open with a satisfying crunch. As soon as they were through, he was off again. They ran down the hall.
* Bang! *
A gunshot rang out, and echoed down the corridor.
"Damn it to HELL!"
Wufei ran after Duo, hoping he wouldn't do anything foolish. Duo ran around the corner and stopped dead. Heero was lying on the floor, bleeding from two wounds on his right arm, but still conscious.
"Leave me, get him! That way!"
Duo hesitated, but knew he was right. He sped off down the corridor, his anger steady, now he knew Heero was alive, that was good, but he still needed to catch Zechs. He reached the dock, and saw movement behind the heap of Gundanium.
"Hey! HEY!! Hold it there! STOP!!" He saw the man turn around, and the gleam of a pistol barrel. He dropped and rolled across the floor.
The man was gone, but Quatre was hurriedly climbing a ladder on the opposite side of the bay. Duo was confused, but he knew Quatre was asleep in his room. He shot.
* Bang, Bang, Bang. *
Three bullets went off in succession, and Quatre fell, dropping the gun, but he hadn't been shot, he'd heard at least one ricochet off the metal rails. Duo ran over to the failed escapist. Pointing the gun ahead of him, he climbed over the heap of scrap metal, to find a man, dressed in black robes, standing about 10 meters away with his back to him.
"Turn around now - whatever you are."
The man complied.
"Right. Now -" Duo stopped, recognizing the guy he held at gunpoint. Wufei came over behind him. He said nothing as he looked over the priest standing in front of them.
"Father -" Duo began, but stopped as the man began drawing the sign of the cross over his chest.
Wufei watched carefully, one eyebrow raised. He had never been to church, and had no idea what was happening. Until the man pulled a pistol from his cloak. He drew his gun and shot it from his hand, just as he pulled the trigger. The man's gun fell from his hand and the shot his the ceiling somewhere. Wufei held his aim, ready for anything.
Except what happened next.